[av_slideshow size=’featured’ animation=’slide’ autoplay=’false’ interval=’5′ control_layout=”]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’897′ video=’http://’ mobile_image=” video_ratio=’16:9′ title=” link_apply=” link=’lightbox’ link_target=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=” video_autoplay=”][/av_slide]

[/av_slideshow]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Written by: Luis José

Last Thursday 18th of June, a group of around 20 icfonians joined ICONS in a visit to BCN3D technologies.

The visit was divided in three activities: firstly, an introductory course on 3D printing where the technical basis for digital manufacturing technology was presented,  secondly we conducted a tour of the assembly line of BCN3D technologies where we were able to see how the printers and other products are built (in some cases they print their own parts), and last but not least we had a “hands on” where we printed a neuron using a BCN3D+ printer.

From the visit we learnt…

• What is 3D printing
• How 3D printing works
• What kind of 3D printers exist
• Sectors for which this technology is applicable
• Knowledge of the basic tools for printing
• Importing and exporting models to print
• Setup files for further manufacturing

For more information go to BCN3D technologies.
[/av_textblock]

[av_gallery ids=’894,902,900,899,898,897,896,895,891,890,904,893,892,901,905,906′ style=’big_thumb’ preview_size=’portfolio’ crop_big_preview_thumbnail=’avia-gallery-big-crop-thumb’ thumb_size=’portfolio’ columns=’5′ imagelink=’lightbox’ lazyload=’avia_lazyload’]

[av_slideshow size=’featured’ animation=’slide’ autoplay=’false’ interval=’5′ control_layout=”]
[av_slide id=’869′ slide_type=” video=’http://’ mobile_image=” video_ratio=’16:9′ video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=” video_autoplay=” title=” link_apply=” link=” link_target=”][/av_slide]
[/av_slideshow]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Written by: Dr. Antigone Marino (EPS Young Minds Project Chair)

On 29-30 May 2015, the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Barcelona hosted the 4th EPS Young Minds Leadership Meeting. 22 YM Sections took part to the event, representing 12 countries all around Europe.

All the Section had the opportunity to present their activities. The Physics League, YM Section of the University of Valladolid in Spain, won the 2015 Best YM Activity Award with an amazing outreach show on Physics and Superpowers. This year the price was sponsored for its first time by the Euro Physics Letters (EPL).
ICFO was elected like one of the best place where such event can happen during the International Year of Light. Moreover, the institute offered a enviable rose of invited speaker that the young scientists had the opportunity to hear. Romain Quidant, leader of the Plasmon Nano-Optics Group, was invited to give a talk titled “Nano-Optics: When light gets us into the nanoworld”. Niek van Hulst, leader of the Molecular Nanophotonics group, gave an overview on the research made at ICFO by more than 20 research groups, bring the Institute to be one of the leading research centers in optics in the world. Finally Lydia Sanmarti-Vila, leader of the Knowledge & Technology TransferDepartment, introduced all the institute outreach project aimed to bring photonics closer to the society.

The EPS activities had been presented by two interesting talks. A plenary one from Christophe Rossel, president of EPS, who gave through his own story a point of view on the relations between Physics and Society. And David Lee, the EPS Secretary General, who gave a talk about “The European Physics Community”, highlighting the importance of the YM project for the society itself, and the increasing need of interaction with European initiatives involved in policies for research.
Looking at the future, YM aims to realize activities for development countries. Lorenzo Giorgi, executive director Liter of Light Italy, and Barbara Capone, C.E.O. and project leader of the Sunshine 4 Palestine, introduced the YM members to the world of physics for development showing how the physicist work can be addressed to help needy communities.

More information can be found in the link 4th YM EPS Meeting 2015
[/av_textblock]

[av_gallery ids=’869,868,867,866,865,864,863,862,861,859,860′ style=’thumbnails’ preview_size=’portfolio’ crop_big_preview_thumbnail=’avia-gallery-big-crop-thumb’ thumb_size=’portfolio’ columns=’5′ imagelink=’lightbox’ lazyload=’avia_lazyload’]

[av_slideshow size=’featured’ animation=’slide’ autoplay=’false’ interval=’5′ control_layout=” perma_caption=’aviaTBperma_caption’]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’839′ video=” mobile_image=” video_ratio=” title=” link_apply=” link=’lightbox’ link_target=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=” video_autoplay=”][/av_slide]

[/av_slideshow]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Written by Carlos Florensa

“The human neuron networks form impenetrable jungles where many investigators have lost themselves”

Ramón y Cajal, 1923

ICONS had the pleasure to receive prof. Rafael Yuste to an informal coffee session on Friday 22nd of May. He is Full Professor at Columbia University and Co-director of the Kavli Institute for Brain Science, and shared with us his insights on the Brain Activity Map (BAM) project and the tools that have to be developed to reach its goals. In his opinion, photonics and nanotechnology have a bright future ahead in neuroscience and pointed out that the PhD students working at ICFO today could be a great match to tackle the challenges awaiting in this growing field.

What are the tools needed to study the brain at a whole new scale and who will be able to build them? This question could summarize the general atmosphere created during the coffee session with prof. Rafael Yuste. The discussed subjects concentrated around the role of photonics in neuroscience, the shift towards open-source cloud-based computational tools and the advances, goals and implications of the BAM project.

According to prof. Yuste, nanotechnology and photonics have plenty of opportunities in the field, way beyond microscopy and imaging. In particular, he believes they will become a invaluable asset for in-vivo studies, not only able to “read” but also “write” into the life subjects. It is already a fact that light can be used to trigger Action Potential (AP) and observe their spread in cells or specifically manipulate biological systems. An example are the tools developed with 2-photon stimulation and imaging with high 3D precision using Spatial Light Modulators (SLM), which suppose a huge improvement compared to other microscopy or excitation techniques used. Furthermore, light is a wonderful tool to parallelize both activities, being able to observed and influence many different parts of the system at the same time. Such capabilities will contribute to understand the Emerging System formed by the interconnection of single neurons. In fact, they constitute a turning point to reach the first two goals of the ones fixed by the BAM project prof. Yuste introduced to us:

• Measure every AP in every neuron of a brain circuit
• Manipulate every neuron activity in the circuit
• Analyze computationally and build models of such circuits

He also discussed with us this third goal. He commented on the use of Python in his lab, not only for ease the open-source collaborations but also to better access cloud storage and computing offered for example by Amazon 3X or Google Compute. The amount of data generated in neurology also launched the development of  Thunder, a Spark based Large-scale neural data analysis tool. Also ethical reasons compel them to use open-source capabilities to readily disclose all advances in a field so deeply linked to human nature. As a summary, prof. Yuste told us that even if his research subject is supposed to lie on biology, the members of his team come from many different branches. In particular, many come from nanotechnology and photonics as these are the key ingredients to build the tools needed to understand the best kept secret of our organism: how does the brain work. He compared the BAM project with the Human Genome project, that put to work together scientist from many different fields to develop the technology needed to foster a revolution in science and in human self-perception.
[/av_textblock]

[av_gallery ids=’841,842,843,844,845,846,847,848′ style=’thumbnails’ preview_size=’portfolio’ crop_big_preview_thumbnail=’avia-gallery-big-crop-thumb’ thumb_size=’portfolio’ columns=’5′ imagelink=’lightbox’ lazyload=’avia_lazyload’]

[av_slideshow_full size=’featured’ stretch=” animation=’slide’ autoplay=’false’ interval=’5′ control_layout=’av-control-default’ src=” attachment=” attachment_size=” position=’top left’ repeat=’no-repeat’ attach=’scroll’]
[av_slide_full id=’795′][/av_slide_full]
[/av_slideshow_full]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Last 7th of May, an ICONS Coffee session was held in the cafeteria were a group of ICFOnians had the chance to share a coffee and have an informal conversation with Dr. Andrew Brown, senior director of global business development in SPIE.

Dr. Brown has worked both in academia and industry. He developed his research skills during his PhD in St. Andews University. Also, he worked for more than ten years in Aculight Corporation, a laser development and manufacturation company. He was a volunteer teacher in Liberia and now works for SPIE.
The attendees were able to ask questions about his personal and professional life. Given the informality of the ICONS coffee session, Dr. Brown shared with us unique perspectives of scientific careers and practices, as well as the challenges faced by researchers to create a successful business. In addition Dr. Brown pointed out that one of the most important things in our life is knowing people. Maybe for this reason he counts the number of personal cards that he gives every time that he travels around the world.

Written by Pep and Junxiong.
[/av_textblock]

[av_gallery ids=’796,795,794,793′ style=’thumbnails’ preview_size=’portfolio’ crop_big_preview_thumbnail=’avia-gallery-big-crop-thumb’ thumb_size=’portfolio’ columns=’5′ imagelink=’lightbox’ lazyload=’avia_lazyload’]